Trees for Water

Why trees?
The villages chosen for plantation activity face extreme water scarcity. Scanty monsoon fills up to 0.61% of the dam's capacity. As a result, the city receives less than 260 lakh litres of water daily against the demand of 513 lakh litres of water. Officials of public health engineering department supply water via train/ferry (up to 25 lakh litres of water). Plantation of trees in this drought-prone region is expected to improve the water table. The plantation of trees will hold the water with the help of its roots, preventing them both from percolating deep into the soil as well as getting evaporated, (Victoria State Government). The trees play an important role in the hydrological cycle of the forest ecosystems.  Barbara J Bond et al., in her article, ‘How Trees Influence the Hydrological Cycle in Forest Ecosystems.’ Mentions the role of trees in the forest hydrological system.

Social Impact
Trees planted will generate approximately over 18,800 workdays of employment for the rural communities and will offset about 4.6 million kgs of carbon every year upon maturity. Trees, especially drought-tolerant local species, will provide measures to tackle the consequences of drought. The trees in the desert have deep taproots that utilise deep capillary water and through transpiration maintain the moisture of the atmosphere, which in turn induces rainfall. Tree covers prevent evaporation from rivers, reservoirs, and gravitational and capillary water, thus, maintaining the groundwater table and saving water for agricultural purposes. Planting local trees will help in the sustenance of long-term benefits in Bhilwara.

Adoption Summary

• 
  Common Name
  Ber
  
  Botanical Name
  Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.
• 
  Common Name
  Shisham or Sheeshami
  
  Botanical Name
  Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC.
• 
  Common Name
  Babool
  
  Botanical Name
  Vachellia nilotica
• 
  Common Name
  Neem
  
  Botanical Name
  Azadirachta indica
• 
  Common Name
  Amla or Indian Gooseberry
  
  Botanical Name
  Emblica officinalis
• 
  Common Name
  Karanj
  
  Botanical Name
  Pongamia pinnata
• 
  Common Name
  Indian Elm
  
  Botanical Name
  Holoptelea integrifolia
• 
  Common Name
  Bel
  
  Botanical Name
  Aegle marmelos
• 
  Common Name
  Khejri
  
  Botanical Name
  Prosopis cineraria
• 
  Common Name
  Kumtha
  
  Botanical Name
  Acacia senegal
• 
  Common Name
  Khair
  
  Botanical Name
  Senegalia catechu